A visitor to "Green Gables"...

My good friend Robert popped round to visit me today. He is my first "official" visitor (my folks and Roscoe don't count... they are family!!!) and I was glad he stopped by on his way to work.

We had a real deep blether about visiting folks... which was really inspiring.

The thing is... I have a degree of empathy just now for "house bound" people because I am technically "house bound". I can't do what I am accustomed to doing... and have a new routine based on Olly and how I feel.

I see visitation as being vital to any physical community for 2 reasons:

1. Connectivity - keeping in contact... keeping connected with the community.
2. Participation - keeping actively part of the community.

I think we only see visitation as the first part - we visit with folks to keep them connected with the physical community. We share what's going on... spend time together... enjoy a coffee or tea... we catch up. More importantly... we break the monotony and rhythm of the day. Trust me... there is only so much TV to watch and Internet to consume in any given day. A visit is a healthy distraction from all that and more. It breaks any sense of loneliness too.

Whats more though is the sense of participation. I no longer associate community with something solely "physical". I am part of online communities that consist of people I haven't ever met. The something beautiful podcast started as a conversation between two folks who have never physically met... and yet it is a thriving expression of community.

I see community as being about a shared something... about connectivity and about participation. Visitation allows people to participate in the community. Robert prayed with me for healing... this deeply humbled me but also show me a means in which I could participate. I could join Robert in prayer. Visitation will provide other opportunities for participation... the house bound individual is given the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and ideas... they are enabled to pass on their experience, their prophetic inspiration, and even their physical "stuff" if it may be used help others.

I think we miss this opportunity to enable participation. We see visitation as coffee and a catch up when it has the potential to be so much more. It has the potential to become a relationship of real meaning... one that we may lose out on because of other priorities being deemed to be more important.

Any thoughts?

My sincere thanks to Robert for his visit!


Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts added later.